Sun Valley – Idaho : Population � Powerful
Enjoyed reading the reports earlier this week about the annual summer media powwow in Sun Valley, Idaho. This event, where the most powerful figures in the industry come together to talk shop at a dude ranch, is organized by US investment banker Herbert Allen and aims to stimulate [...]
The BBC Annual Report — Blogged!
Okay, it’s 14:06 London time, folks, and I just downloaded the 3.38 mb report. Ouch.
Let’s see how far I get on this…
Cover-1: A photo of the Queen’s Golden Jubilee celebration? They’re pandering already!
Cover-2: The Mission Statement: The Things We Think and Do Not Say, by [...]
FT Digs�But Not Too Deep
The FT, presumably long bored by the rhetoric laden speeches given by the senior Ofcom folks, have started working their way through old in-house magazines to come up with something a little more controversial. And what have they managed to dig up?
Well�in today�s Creative Business section the newspaper notes Stephen Carter�s [...]
Bryant Questions Ofcom Salary Levels
Chris Bryant, Labour MP for Rhondda and member of the Select Committee for Culture, Media and Sport, has questioned the size of Ofcom�s salary bill.
Bryant believes over 30 of those appointed so far are on re-numeration packages in excess of �100,000. He is to ask the Secretary of State, Tessa [...]
Maggie Brown on the Communications Bill
Today’s MediaGuardian has a short summary of the Communications Bill by Maggie Brown.
She answers the question that was probably on everyone’s minds: “What about subtitling?”
[Yawn...]
New BBC Drama About BBC Annual Report
The Sunday Times says that the BBC is �staging a rehearsal� for its Annual Report related appearance before the Commons Culture and Media select committee with �experts taking on the role of interrogators.�
That�s rich. If I were an MP on the committee, I would ask who played [...]
No. 42? Hah! See me pounce on No. 33!!!
AS I PREDICTED last Monday, Roger Parry of Clear Channel (recently insulted by the MediaGuardian with a lowly No. 42 placement on their top 100 list) has begun to flex his muscles in the U.K. media marketplace. In particular, The Sunday Times reported that [...]
Bell Merges Food and Media Policy…
Yesterday’s Guardian has an interesting piece by Emily Bell in which she claims that the ’souffle and jelly bill’ won’t worry Murdoch.
Souffle = the ‘light-touch’ regulatory scheme to be pursued by Ofcom
Jelly = applyng the Bill to particular mergers is difficult (like nailing jelly to a wall)
I’m getting the [...]
Jowell Denies Planned Vendetta Against BBC
Okay everyone, calm down! Stop ringing Ofcomwatch with your frantic concerns! Tessa Jowell denies the claim that she implied or suggested that the BBC’s royal charter may be under threat in 2006 due to the Corporation’s recent fights with the U.K. government over Iraq matters.
She says that [...]
McIntosh Speaks To Snoddy
Raymond Snoddy in the Times gets some quality time with new Broadcasting Minister Lord McIntosh of Haringey.
McIntosh, who has had already seen some action with the rebellion in the Lords over the Communications Bill, seems thrilled by his appointment, which he took during the last reshuffle. At 70 it will be interesting [...]
Happy Days for BT
Looks like BTs grey skies have opened up to a little ray of sunshine. After accusations from Freeserve that BT’s use of the ‘Blue Bill’ and it’s 150 service to market BT Broadband was anti-competitive, Oftel has failed to find a breach in the Competition Act.
Oftel’s [...]
MP Tackles Unwanted Email
MP Derek Wyatt has started a website aimed at tackling unwanted emails. The website actually has a chart entitled, “Scary Figures on the Growth of Spam.” EndSpam also notes: “Your MP has to address any problems you have including spam!” It has a form email that visitors can [...]
Broadband in the Public Interest: subsidizing for public servants
Okay this is a bit late in blogging, my apologies. According to zdnet.co.uk, the Centre for Reform proposed giving a number of public service workers broadband connections in the home in a report entitled Broadening Horizons: Why Broadband Matters.
Why is this important enough to [...]
Currie’s Speech To The Radio Industry
David Currie gave a speech to the U.K. radio industry on July 7th. Here are some brief excerpts:
On Ofcom’s regulatory approach:
Ofcom will be a regulator which will intervene only where there is evidence that regulation is necessary, but then will do so firmly, effectively and decisively. It is our [...]
Lords Urged to Agree on Compromises : Communications Bill Set For Royal Ascent
The Department of Culture, Media, and Sport (DCMS) published its final list of amendments to the Communications Bill earlier today and expects them to be moved by the House of Lords in the third reading session tomorrow.
The DCMS/Puttnam ‘plurality test’ compromise amendment [...]
Russ’s Unedited Thoughts On The MediaGuardian Top 100
Continuing Ofcomwatch’s string of impressive innovations in the Ofcom-blogging industry, I decided to blog the MediaGuardian Top 100 list AS I READ IT. Yes, that’s right, you are receiving the benefit of my unedited thoughts on the Top 100 people in U.K. media! Here goes:
* [...]
Greg Dyke Tops Mediaguardian 100
As expected Lord Currie and Stephen Carter get top ten status. Number 3 and 8 respectively.
Richard Hooper, Ofcom’s deputy chair comes in at number 20.
Ed Richards – last year’s number 15 – drops off the list. On the wane or more influencial just less visible?
BBC prove market dominance with list dominance.
Blogs [...]
Top Dogs
MediaGuardian are set to announce their Top 100 media power brokers list this coming Monday.
Expect high rankings for the senior folks at Ofcom. Lord Currie and Stephen Carter definite new entries.
But will Ed Richards improve on his number 15 in 2002. This could be Ofcom’s first true test – are you as powerful [...]
Radiotastic
I suspect any one who’s anyone in radio will be at The Radio Academy’s 2003 Radio Festival this coming week.
Lord Currie opens proceedings on Monday night delivering the Guardian Media Group Lecture.
Ofcom’s Deputy Chair Richard Hooper is scheduled to speak Tuesday morning in a session billed as ‘Indecent Tastes – Will Ofcom’s rules of [...]
Proprietor Neutral? . . . ctd.
Responding to Luke’s thoughts of earlier today re: the ‘plurality test’, I think it’s clear that the one beneficiary of the amended Bill is the BBC. By keeping out new entrants that have the “terrifying trio” of ownership, power and money, the Lords are ensuring that only one player [...]
